Question
A friend recently noticed that her child seems to have difficulty hearing what adults are saying and appears a bit slow in response. She didn’t notice this problem when the child was younger. She accompanied her child to the hospital for a thorough check-up, and the doctor said the child might have some hearing impairment and needs treatment. She’s unsure of the best place to seek treatment for this condition. Please advise.
Answer
This could be due to acquired diseases such as foreign objects in the external auditory canal, cerumen, boils, and otitis media, among others. Otitis media in children is particularly common, and it can lead to serious intracranial and extracranial complications that may even threaten life. It is crucial to detect and treat it early. If you notice that your child is crying and restless, scratching their ears and turning their head (in pre-verbal children), or complaining of ear pain, difficulty with ear communication, purulent ear discharge, slow response to sound, or prefers to turn up the volume on the TV, it is best to take them to an otolaryngology clinic for a follow-up examination as soon as possible.